EP0890949A2

EP0890949A2 - Digital audio processing system compatible with digital versatile disk video standard

Info

Publication number: EP0890949A2
Application number: EP97307387A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jung-Kwon Heo; Jae-Hoon Heo
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-07-11
Filing date: 1997-09-22
Publication date: 1999-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2017-09-22
Also published as: CN1098518C; EP0890949A3; JPH1139799A; JP2988894B2; CN1205502A; DE69734707D1; DE69734707T2; KR19990013345A; KR100467409B1; HK1016319A1; EP0890949B1

Abstract

A digital audio processing system processes digital audio data having a higher quality than the quality of digital audio data provided by DVD video standard so as to be compatible with the DVD video standard. The digital audio processing system includes a decimation filter (11) for decimation-filtering first digital audio data and generating second digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard. A sampling and filtering unit (13) up-samples and filters the second digital audio data and outputs third digital audio data obtained by the up-sampling and filtering. A subtraction means (12, 14) subtracts third digital audio data from corresponding first digital audio data and generates residual data which can restore the first digital audio data, and an encoding means (15) encodes the residual data generated by the subtraction means and generates the encoded residual data.

Description

The present invention relates to a digital audio processing system compatible with a digital versatile disk (DVD) video standard, and more particularly, to a digital audio processing system for providing digital audio data having a higher quality than the quality of digital audio data provided by DVD video standard while processing the digital audio data so that it can be reproduced even in a DVD reproducer adopting the DVD video standard.

A compact disk (CD) is widely used as a recording medium of audio data. However, such a CD which can contain digital audio data expressed as a sampling frequency of 44.1KHz and 16 quantization bits, does not provide an audio quality provided by an original recording master.

Through many a recent research, it has been known to need to sample an audio signal using a sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits, in order to provide the same audio quality as that provided by an original recording master. The high quality audio signal requires a high data transmission rate by a characteristic of the signal. An existing DVD can provide a physically high data transmission rate such as to provide the same audio quality as an original recording master. However, an existing DVD video standard allows audio data which is linearly pulse code modulated by a sampling frequency of 96KHz at maximum and 24 quantization bits to be recorded on a DVD disk.

Meanwhile, Japanese companies such as Sony Corporation and Sharp Company Limited have proposed a new audio format, called a direct stream digital audio system in order to provide a higher quality audio than the audio quality provided by the existing DVD video standard. The direct stream digital audio system disclosed via "AES the 100th Convention, Preprint 4163" by Ayataka Nishino, Gen Ichimura, Yoshizumi Inazawa, Norikazu Horikawa and Tadao Suzuki in Sony Corporation Shibaura Technology Center, Tokyo, Japan. According to this system, an analog audio signal is sigma-delta-analog-to-digital converted so as to be expressed as a sampling frequency of 64fs and a quantization bit of one bit. The bitstream data obtained by such a sigma-delta-digital-to-analog conversion is recorded on a recording medium by a direct stream digital (DSD) recorder and reproduced from the recording medium. The bitstream data reproduced from the recording medium by the DSD reproducer is sigma-delta-analog-to-digital converted as a sampling frequency of 64fs (fs is a sampling frequency of analog-to-digital conversion) and a quantization bit of one bit. The analog audio signal obtained by such an analog-to-digital conversion is filtered by an analog filter. The direct stream digital audio system uses the whole data rate of 2.8Mbps or so. The data rate can be accommodated in an existing DVD. Thus, if such a system is used to record an audio signal on a DVD, an audio quality higher than that provided by the existing DVD video standard can be provided.

However, when digital audio data of a higher audio quality than that provided by linear pulse-code-modulation (PCM) audio data of 96KHz and 24 bits, is recorded on an existing DVD, a DVD video reproducer which has been fabricated to process audio data according to the DVD video standard cannot reproduce the digital audio data recorded on the DVD.

Also, the direct stream digital audio system is not compatible with the existing DVD video standard. Thus, a reproducer which has been designed according to the DVD video standard cannot reproduce audio data which is processed according to the direct stream digital audio system and is recorded on the DVD.

With a view to solve or reduce the above problems it is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a digital audio processing system for providing digital audio data having a higher quality than the quality of digital audio data provided by DVD video standard while being compatible with an existing DVD video standard.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital audio processing system for a digital versatile disk (DVD), the digital audio processing system comprising: a decimation filtering unit for decimation-filtering first digital audio data and generating second digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard; a sampling and filtering unit for up-sampling and filtering the second digital audio data and outputting the third digital audio data obtained by the up-sampling and filtering; a subtraction unit for subtracting corresponding third digital audio data from the first digital audio data and generating residual data which can restore the first digital audio data; and an encoder for encoding the residual data generated by the subtraction unit and generating the encoded residual data.

The first digital audio data provides a higher audio quality than that provided by the DVD video standard.

Preferably, a decimation ratio of said decimation filtering means is the same as a reciprocal of a sampling rate for up-sampling in said sampling and filtering means.

Said subtraction means may comprise: a delay for delaying the first digital audio data; and a subtracter for subtracting third digital audio data received from said sampling and filtering means from the corresponding first digital audio data received from said delay.

Said encoding means is preferably a lossless encoder.

A recorder for recording the second digital audio data and the encoded residual data on a DVD may be provided.

Said recorder preferably records the second digital audio data and the encoded residual data on a DVD with a format which allows the recorded result to be reproduced from a DVD video reproducer which is designed according to the DVD video standard.

When the first digital audio data has a frequency of N times a sampling frequency possessed by the digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard in which N is an integer, said decimation filtering means preferably decimation-filters the first digital audio data at an N:1 ratio to generate the second digital audio data and said sampling and filtering means up-samples the first digital audio data at a 1:N ratio to generate the third digital audio data.

When the first digital audio data is audio data which has been sampled with a 192KHz sampling frequency and quantized with 24 bits, said decimation filtering means preferably decimation-filters the input digital audio data at a 2:1 ratio and said sampling and filtering means interpolation-filters the digital audio data at a 1:2 ratio.

When the first digital audio data is bitstream data which is obtained by a sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion and is expressed as a 64fs sampling frequency and one bit, said sampling and filtering means preferably sigma-delta-modulates the second digital audio data to generate bitstream data which is expressed as 64fs and one bit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital audio processing system comprising: a digital versatile disk (DVD) for storing first digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard and encoded residual data for providing digital audio data having a higher quality than the quality of digital audio data provided by the DVD video standard; a reader for reading the first digital audio data and the encoded residual data; and a reproducer for reproducing the first digital audio data.

Said reproducer may be a video reproducer for reproducing digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard.

The digital audio processing system preferably further comprises: a sampling and filtering means for up-sampling and filtering the read first digital audio data and outputting the resultant second digital audio data; a decoding means for decoding the encoded residual data and generating the residual data; an addition means for adding the second digital audio data and the residual data to thereby generate the third digital audio data having a higher audio quality than that provided by the DVD video standard; and a reproducer for reproducing the third digital audio data.

When the third digital audio data has a frequency of N times a sampling frequency possessed by the first digital audio data in which N is an integer, said sampling and filtering means preferably up-samples the second digital audio data at a 1:N ratio.

The third digital audio data is preferably audio data which has been sampled with a 192KHz sampling frequency and quantized with 24 bits.

The system may further comprise a reproducer for reproducing the bitstream data when the third digital audio data is bitstream data which is obtained by a sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion and is expressed as a 64fs sampling frequency and one bit, wherein said sampling and filtering means sigma-delta-modulates the second digital audio data to generate bitstream data which is expressed as 64fs and one bit and supply the result to the reproducer.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a digital audio recording processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a digital audio reproduction processing apparatus corresponding to the Figure 1 apparatus;

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a digital audio recording processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a digital audio reproduction processing apparatus corresponding to the Figure 3 apparatus.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figure 1 showing a digital audio recording processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, digital audio data is input to a decimation filter 11 and a delay 12. The decimation filter 11 performs decimation-filtering of the received digital audio data according to a predetermined decimation rate "M", in order to obtain the digital audio data allowed by the DVD video standard. In more detail, the decimation filter 11 low-pass-filters the received digital audio data and down-samples the low-pass-filtered audio data by the decimation rate "M". In the case that the digital audio data input to the Figure 1 apparatus is expressed as the sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits, the decimation filter 11 decimation-filters the received digital audio data by a decimation rate of 2:1. Therefore, the digital audio data appropriate for the DVD video standard, that is, the digital audio data which is expressed as the sampling frequency of 96KHz and 24 quantization bits is obtained from the decimation filter 11. The digital audio data obtained by the decimation filter 11 is input to an interpolating filter 13 and a recorder 16.

The interpolation filter 13 performs an interpolation-filtering of the received digital audio data at an interpolation ratio (L=1/M) which is a reciprocal to the decimation ratio. In more detail, the interpolation filter 13 up-samples the received digital audio data according to the interpolation ratio L and low-pass-filters the up-sampled audio data. The digital audio data obtained by the interpolation filter 13 is input to a subtracter 14.

Meanwhile, the delay 12 delays the received digital audio data by a predetermined interval of time. The predetermined interval of time is decided so that the subtracter 14 can perform a subtraction operation with respect to the same audio sample. The subtracter 14 subtracts the digital audio data received from the interpolation filter 13 from the digital audio data delayed in the delay 12. The residual data obtained by the subtraction result is input to a lossless encoder 15. The lossless encoder 15 encodes the residual data received from the subtracter 14 according to a well-known lossless encoding method, such as, a variable length coding method, an orthogonal transform coding method, and so on. By such a lossless encoding operation, the encoded residual data whose data amount is decreased compared with the residual data output from the subtracter 14 is obtained. The encoded residual data is input to the recorder 16.

The recorder 16 records the digital audio data received from the decimation filter 11 on a recording area of a DVD according to the DVD video standard and records the encoded residual data received from the lossless encoder 15 on another recording area of the DVD. The recording area of the DVD on which the encoded residual data is recorded is decided based on the existing DVD video standard. Since the encoded residual data has a small amount of data by a lossless encoding operation, it can be recorded on a recording area of a DVD which is not defined by the DVD video standard.

Therefore, a DVD video reproducer which is designed by the DVD video standard can reproduce the data recorded on the DVD by the Figure 1 apparatus.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a digital audio reproduction processing apparatus corresponding to the Figure 1 apparatus. Referring to Figure 2, a reader 21 reads out the recorded data from the DVD on which the digital audio data has been recorded by the Figure 1 apparatus. The reader 21 outputs the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 96KHz and 24 quantization bits among the read data to a DVD video reproducer 20 and an interpolation filter 23, and outputs the encoded residual data among the read data to a lossless decoder 25. The DVD video reproducer 20 which is a general DVD video reproducer to be designed to fit the DVD video standard, reproduces the digital audio data to be received from the reader 21.

The interpolation filter 23 which performs the same operation as that of the above-described interpolation filter 13, interpolation-filters the received digital audio data, to thereby generate the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits. The digital audio data is input to an adder 27. A lossless decoder 25 losslessly decodes the encoded residual data received from the reader 21 to generate the residual data. The residual data is same as that output from the subtracter 14 of Figure 1 since it has been losslessly encoded and decoded. The residual data is input to an adder 27.

The adder 27 adds the digital audio data received from the interpolation filter 23 and the residual data received from the lossless decoder 25, and generates the digital audio data which is expressed as the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits. The digital audio data generated by the adder 27 is input to a digital-to-analog converter 29 constituting a dedicated reproducer according to the present invention for reproducing the audio data obtained by the adder 27, by which it is converted into an analog audio signal.

Since the analog audio signal is a signal obtained by digital-to-analog converting the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits, an audio having a higher quality than that provided by the existing DVD video standard can be provided to users.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a digital audio recording processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. The Figure 3 apparatus receives bitstream data provided by a direct stream digital audio system differently from the above-described Figure 1 apparatus. The bitstream data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 64fs and one quantization bit as described above, is input to a decimation filter 31 and a delay 32. The decimation filter 31 performs a decimation-filtering of the received bitstream data according to a predetermined decimation ratio, to thus generate digital audio data which is expressed as the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 96KHz and 24 quantization bits. In more detail, the decimation filter 31 low-pass-filters the received bitstream and then performs a decimation operation with respect to the low-pass-filtered data according to a decimation ratio determined on the basis of a sampling ratio of a 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 33. Thus, the audio data which meets the DVD video standard, that is, the digital audio data which is expressed as the digital audio data as a sampling frequency of 96KHZ and 24 quantization bits is obtained by the decimation filter 31. The digital audio data is input to a recorder 36 and a 64fs/i-bit sigma-delta modulator 33. The 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 33 sigma-delta modulates the digital audio data received from the decimation filter 31, and generates bitstream data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 64fs and one quantization bit. The 64fs/1-bit bitstream data includes only a lowband component of a frequency band possessed by the bitstream data which has not been input to the decimation filter 31 yet, due to a decimation-filtering of the decimation filter 31, which is input to a subtracter 34.

Meanwhile, the delay 32 delays the received digital audio data by a predetermined interval of time. The predetermined interval of time is decided so that the subtracter 34 can perform a subtraction operation with respect to the same audio sample. The subtracter 34 subtracts the bitstream data received from the 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 33 from the bitstream data delayed in the delay 32. The residual data obtained by the subtraction result is input to a lossless encoder 35. The lossless encoder 35 encodes the residual data received from the subtracter 34 according to a lossless encoding method such as a variable length coding method and an orthogonal transform coding method. By such a lossless encoding operation, the encoded residual data whose data amount is decreased compared with the residual data output from the subtracter 34 is obtained. The encoded residual data is input to the recorder 36.

The recorder 36 records the digital audio data received from the decimation filter 31 on a recording area of a DVD according to the DVD video standard and records the encoded residual data received from the lossless encoder 35 on another recording area of the DVD. The recording area of the DVD on which the encoded residual data is recorded is decided based on the existing DVD video standard.

Referring to Figure 4 showing a digital audio reproduction processing apparatus corresponding to the Figure 3 apparatus, a reader 41 reads out the recorded data from the DVD on which the digital audio data has been recorded by the Figure 3 apparatus. The reader 41 outputs the digital audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 96KHz and 24 quantization bits among the read data to a general DVD video reproducer 40 which can reproduce the digital audio data. The reader 41 also outputs the digital audio data to the 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 43, and outputs the encoded residual data among the read data to a lossless decoder 45.

The 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 43 which performs the same operation as that of the above-described 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 43, sigma-delta modulates the received digital audio data, to thereby generate the bitstream data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 64fs and a one-bit quantization bit. The bitstream data is input to an adder 47.

Meanwhile, the lossless decoder 45 losslessly decodes the encoded residual data received from the reader 41 to generate the residual data. The residual data is the same as that output from the subtracter 34 of Figure 3. The residual data is input to an adder 47. The adder 47 adds the bitstream data received from the 64fs/1-bit sigma-delta modulator 43 and the residual data received from the lossless decoder 45, and generates the bitstream data which is the same as that proposed by a direct stream digital audio system. The bitstream data is reproduced by a DSD reproducer 49 for reproducing the bitstream data proposed by the direct stream digital audio system.

The above-described embodiments have been described with respect to the analog audio data which is expressed as a sampling frequency of 192KHz and 24 quantization bits and the bitstream data proposed by the direct stream digital audio system. However, the digital audio processing system according to the present invention can use digital audio data of another sampling frequency which can provide an audio having a higher quality than that provided by the existing DVD video standard. Such digital audio data has a sampling frequency higher than 96KHz.

As described above, the digital audio processing system according to embodiments of the present invention can provide an audio having a higher quality than that provided by the existing DVD video standard and can process the digital audio data so that it can be reproduced in a DVD video reproducer designed by the DVD video standard. Also, the digital audio processing system can process the bitstream data proposed by the direct stream digital audio system so that it can be reproduced in a DSD reproducer which is designed to adapt itself to a direct stream digital audio system as well as a DVD video reproducer which is designed according to the DVD video standard.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

A digital audio processing system for a digital versatile disk (DVD), the digital audio processing system comprising:

a decimation filtering means (11) for decimation-filtering first digital audio data and generating second digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard;

a sampling and filtering means (13) for up-sampling and filtering the second digital audio data and outputting third digital audio data obtained by the up-sampling and filtering;

a subtraction means (12, 14) for subtracting third digital audio data from corresponding first digital audio data and generating residual data which can restore the first digital audio data; and

an encoding means (15) for encoding the residual data generated by the subtraction means and generating the encoded residual data,
wherein the first digital audio data provides a higher audio quality than that provided by the DVD video standard.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 1, wherein a decimation ratio of said decimation filtering means (11) is the same as a reciprocal of a sampling rate for up-sampling in said sampling and filtering means (13).
The digital audio processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said subtraction means (12, 14) comprises:

a delay (12) for delaying the first digital audio data; and

a subtracter (14) for subtracting third digital audio data received from said sampling and filtering means (13) from the corresponding first digital audio data received from said delay (12).
The digital audio processing system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said encoding means (15) is a lossless encoder.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, further comprising a recorder (16) for recording the second digital audio data and the encoded residual data on a DVD.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 5, wherein said recorder (16) records the second digital audio data and the encoded residual data on a DVD with a format which allows the recorded result to be reproduced from a DVD video reproducer which is designed according to the DVD video standard.
The digital audio processing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein when the first digital audio data has a frequency of N times a sampling frequency possessed by the digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard in which N is an integer, said decimation filtering means (11) decimation-filters the first digital audio data at an N:1 ratio to generate the second digital audio data and said sampling and filtering means (13) up-samples the first digital audio data at a 1:N ratio to generate the third digital audio data.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 7, wherein when the first digital audio data is audio data which has been sampled with a 192KHz sampling frequency and quantized with 24 bits, said decimation filtering means (11) decimation-filters the input digital audio data at a 2:1 ratio and said sampling and filtering means (13) interpolation-filters the digital audio data at a 1:2 ratio.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 1, wherein when the first digital audio data is bitstream data which is obtained by a sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion and is expressed as a 64fs sampling frequency and one bit, said sampling and filtering means (13) sigma-delta-modulates the second digital audio data to generate bitstream data which is expressed as 64fs and one bit.
A digital audio processing system comprising:

a digital versatile disk (DVD) for storing first digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard and encoded residual data for providing digital audio data having a higher quality than the quality of digital audio data provided by the DVD video standard;

a reader (21) for reading the first digital audio data and the encoded residual data; and

a reproducer (20) for reproducing the first digital audio data.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 10, wherein said reproducer (20) is a DVD video reproducer for reproducing digital audio data which meets the DVD video standard.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising:

a sampling and filtering means (23, 43) for up-sampling and filtering the read first digital audio data and outputting the resultant second digital audio data;

a decoding means (25, 45) for decoding the encoded residual data and generating the residual data;

an addition means (27, 47) for adding the second digital audio data and the residual data to thereby generate the third digital audio data having a higher audio quality than that provided by the DVD video standard; and

a reproducer (29, 49) for reproducing the third digital audio data.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 12, wherein when the third digital audio data has a frequency of N times a sampling frequency possessed by the first digital audio data in which N is an integer, said sampling and filtering means (23, 43) up-samples the second digital audio data at a 1:N ratio.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 13, wherein the third digital audio data is audio data which has been sampled with a 192KHz sampling frequency and quantized with 24 bits.
The digital audio processing system according to claim 12, further comprising a reproducer for reproducing the bitstream data when the third digital audio data is bitstream data which is obtained by a sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion and is expressed as a 64fs sampling frequency and one bit, wherein said sampling and filtering means sigma-delta-modulates the second digital audio data to generate bitstream data which is expressed as 64fs and one bit and supply the result to the reproducer.